Campbell Law News

New Fourth Circuit Judges Receive Iredell Award

RALEIGH, N.C. – On April 11, 2011, The Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity of Campbell Law School presented Fourth Circuit Judges Albert Diaz and James A. Wynn, Jr. with the 2011 Justice James Iredell Awards during a gala ceremony in Raleigh. Brandon McPherson (’11), Justice of Phi Alpha Delta’s Iredell Chapter, and Martha Bradley (‘12), Chair of the James Iredell Banquet Committee, served as event emcees.

Since 1980 the James Iredell Award has been presented each year to an individual who has made significant contributions to the legal profession and the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. The award, inspired by the life and writings of James Iredell, honors the recipient’s accomplishments, tenacity, and effort.

In presenting the awards, Event Chair Martha Bradley remarked, “When the Phi Alpha Delta Executive Board met to decide on who would receive the 2011 James Iredell Award, we repeatedly used the words ‘service’ and ‘dignity’ whenever we discussed Judge Diaz or Judge Wynn.”

Acknowledging the substantial mark made by many distinguished North Carolinians over the last 200 years to the United States, including Mr. Iredell, Judge Diaz said that his modest goal as a judge of the Fourth Circuit will be to avoid history saying that he gave no character to the office during his tenure.

In describing the traditions and collegiately among the Fourth Circuit, Judge Wynn remarked that “This court is loaded with tradition. The Fourth Circuit is the only court that after every argument, we walk down from the bench and shake the hands of the litigators. But, I don’t think I have ever been on a court where the questions can be more vigorous, more dynamic, and more thoughtful than the Fourth Circuit.”

"The James Iredell Banquet is always a great event that provides law students and legal professionals the opportunity to interact and share a wonderful evening,” said Brandon McPherson, Justice of Phi Alpha Delta’s Iredell Chapter. “This year was no exception with all of our distinguished guests and two outstanding recipients in Judge Diaz and Judge Wynn."

About the Honorable Albert Diaz:

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Judge Diaz was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit by President Barack Obama in 2009 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2010. Dedicating the early years of his legal career to service in the armed forces, Judge Diaz settled into private practice in North Carolina in 1995. For the five years preceding his confirmation to the Fourth Circuit, he served as Special Superior Court Judge in the North Carolina Business Court.

About the Honorable James A. Wynn:

A native North Carolinian, Judge Wynn was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit by President Barack Obama in 2009 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2010. Judge Wynn is also one of this State’s most distinguished jurists, having served as an appellate judge on both the N.C. Supreme Court and the N.C. Court of Appeals for nearly twenty years. Similarly, the judge dedicated more than two and a half decades of distinguished service to the U.S. Navy as a military trial judge, retiring in 2009 at the rank of Captain.

About Campbell Law School: Since its founding in 1976, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. The School has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 3,200 alumni, including 2,200 who reside and work in North Carolina. For 21 years, Campbell Law’s record of success on the North Carolina Bar Exam has been unsurpassed by any other North Carolina law school. In September 2009, Campbell Law relocated to a new state-of-the-art building in downtown Raleigh. For more information, visit law.campbell.edu.